Demian Bichir, Stefanie Sherk, George Clooney and Stacy Keibler at the 84th annual Academy Awards. There was little reserved about last year's Oscar red carpet as stars stepped out of the basic black sartorial box and into gowns that glowed white and popped bright. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Who says white doesn't work after Labor Day? Paltrow sizzled in an ensemble by Tom Ford, which included a handy accessory: "It's a cape. It comes off," Paltrow said. The topper was perfect for the cool Los Angeles temperatures. Jimmy Choo platforms polished the look. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Rooney Mara, the best-actress nominee for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo lightened up her typical black palette with gossamer white Givenchy. "I had an idea of what I wanted from past collections which they've done," she said. The process took a few weeks. "The fabric is beautiful," she said. "Delicate. It's very light." It's a "modern, romantic, ethereal dress" — as Zen, perhaps, as her past few days: "It's been a pretty calm week." Her only adornments: a left-hand diamond and platinum ring from Fred Leighton and carmine lipstick. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

The Descendants star Shailene Woodley looked elegantly mature in a bun and long sleeves. She described her white crepe column gown from Valentino as "comfortable" and "very me," adding, "I'm 20. There's only so many years I can pull a dress like this off." On her feet: Ferragamo. Bob Riha, Jr. USA TODAY

Jennifer Lopez knows how to wow on the red carpet. The American Idol judge, on hand to present, gave nominees a run for their money in her custom couture gown by Zuhair Murad. She added a dazzling array of Lorraine Schwartz jewels, a Salvatore Ferragamo minaudiere and Jimmy Choo shoes as the finishing touches. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Winnowing down three dress contenders, Octavia Spencer (who won best supporting actress for her work in The Help) stayed true to her red-carpet regular, wearing sparkly ivory cap-sleeved Tadashi Shoji. "He has been wonderful to me throughout awards season," she said. Completing her look: Jimmy Choo platform sandals, Neil Lane jewels, a Judith Leiber clutch and a '60s-esque updo by Camille Friend, who styled all the hair for "The Help." Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

What better night to go big and bold than the Oscars? These stars, like Jessica Chastain, set out to stand out — and they succeeded fabulously. Dan MacMedan USA TODAY

The best-actress nominee for The Help"glowed in a "dramatic," as she put it, strapless emerald column with a beaded, plunging bustline and pleated, ruffled train. The designer? Vera Wang. "When I saw it — the color, the shape fit my body type," she said. One notable change for Davis last awards season: She wore her hair naturally. "I felt tougher. And for a while, I wanted to be who I was and be confident and bold." She added that the style makes a great statement for African-American girls: Embrace who you are. On her feet: Jimmy Choo platform sandals. In her hand: Judith Leiber. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

"It's pink! It looks like bougainvillea," said Emma Stone, comparing her Giambattista Valli dress to the flower. The star of The Help added, "I have almost never been so comfortable." Jewelry by Louis Vuitton and platforms from Brian Atwood completed the look. Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY

Hips didn't lie as Michelle Williams puffed up her skirt with the help of prim and pretty peplum, one of last spring's big trends.
Canary was her color when she was nominated for 2005's Brokeback Mountain." Last year, the best-actress nominee opted for something similarly sock-it-to-you: a strapless, peplumed dress from Louis Vuitton in coral. Why the punchy hue? "It was just our favorite from all the ones we tried." She said she picked the dress with a little help from "my friends." Her simple diamond strand was from Fred Leighton for Forevermark. A Bottega Veneta clutch finished the look. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Williams had a quiet twin in Tina Fey, who chose strapless, peplumed navy Carolina Herrera — the only star to wear the designer last year. Don't expect the funny lady to join the Twitterati: "If I had any jokes, I'd have to save them," she told E! "I need my jokes. I can't give them away." She wore black satin Stuart Weitzman shoes. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Best actor nominee Brad Pitt (in a Tom Ford tux) walked the red carpet with perhaps the best accessory of the night: his partner Angelina Jolie. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Jolie went for her signature color — that would be black, of course — in a showstopping strapless number that was slit sky-high. She also donned a whopping $2.5 million dollars' worth of Neil Lane diamond and platinum jewelry, and a pair of custom-made Salvatore Ferragamo black velvet peeptoe pumps. As for that spectacular stance? Well, Angie's right leg got its own Twitter account. Dan MacMedan USA TODAY

A be-tuxed Michel Hazanavicius revealed that despite how well The Artistdid, he was still nervous. "We don't know how people will vote. There are always surprises," the director said. Berenice Bejo, the best supporting actress nominee for her role in The Artist was radiant in a mint long sleeve fully embroidered gown from Elie Saab. "I love the color with my new hair," said Bejo. Ask and you shall receive: "I wanted to have dark green earrings," she said of her Chopard jewels. To complete her movie-star look, she carried a one-of-a-kind mint green Swarovski clutch. Bejo said she was happy to have support close by last awards season: "I"m doing everything with my husband, Michel," she said of her husband. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

"It's not one of those things you can throw together overnight. It's a thoughtful process," a Gucci-clad Cameron Diaz told ABC. "The train is a little heavy… but it's so masterfully crafted." Diaz, on hand to present, was anchored by a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo blush satin peeptoe pumps. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Christopher Plummer opted for a velvet smoking jacket by his tailor in London to wear on his record-setting night: at the age of 82, he became the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar. Of the role in Beginners that won him the best supporting actor prize, Plummer said it's "very satisfying to play someone with that amount of courage and honesty." Next up? A project with HBO. "I'm looking forward to going back to work." Ethan Miller, Getty Images

"It's rather a nice ritual presenting. Obviously there is a big buildup when it is your year," Colin Firth, 2011's best actor winner, told ABC on the red carpet. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Bichir, who brought his mom as his date, "got ready in 7 minutes flat." No word on how long it took the best actor nominee to choose his black, one-button, notch lapel tuxedo, white tuxedo shirt, black satin bow tie and white pocket square by Ermenegildo Zegna. And, of course, the bling: diamond cufflinks and shirt studs from Bulgari's High Jewelry Collection. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

George Clooney: "I'm carrying Giorgio Armani on my back," joked the best actor nominee to E! Clooney was dashing in a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo, with an evening shirt and a bow tie. Stacy Keibler wore a dress by Marchesa. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Glenn Close, a best actress nominee for her role in the gender-bending Albert Nobbs,was striking in a dramatic lily-green silk faille and floral embroidered bustier gown and duchess satin blazer by Zac Posen. Of her preparations for the night, "I got quiet just thinking about what we're going into ... it can be overwhelming," said Close, who sparkled with earrings in white gold and round brilliant-cut diamonds from Bulgari's High Jewelry Collection. Jason Merritt, Getty

Nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Albert Nobbs,McTeer chose a custom-draped garnet stretch chiffon long-sleeve evening gown by David Meister Signature. Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

"I'm a lucky guy," French actor Jean Dujardin told E! on the red carpet. He won best actor for his role in the silent film The Artist. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

"I'm at the Oscars, I'm being nominated for an Oscar. It's very surreal," Jonah Hill told E! The best supporting actor nominee (Moneyball) chose a tuxedo by Ermenegildo Zegna. And Hill didn't leave the bling to the ladies: he accessorized with an 18-karat white gold ring from Bulgari's Parentesi Revolution Collection. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Kristen Wiig looked casually confident in strapless taupe J. Mendel and Neil Lane jewels, and no wonder. "I just put it on, and it was what I wanted," she said. In her hand: Judith Leiber. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Maya Rudolph, the Bridesmaids and Up All Nightstar was radiant in plum. Dan MacMedan USA TODAY

Melissa McCarthy, with husband Ben Falcone, picked a goddess-y Marina Rinaldi gown in draped blush chiffon with a bejeweled neckline and waistline. "I wanted something light," she said. "I wanted an Oscar dress I could never wear again." But anchoring her ensemble was something particularly personal: her matching silver bag and shoes made by her high school buddy, Brian Atwood, who signed the bottom of her sole. Complementing the look? Chopard jewels. Bob Riha, Jr. USA TODAY

Rose Byrne glittered in a one-shouldered, black-sequined Vivienne Westwood sheath, a dramatic departure from her shiny white (and hotly debated) SAGs jumpsuit. "I've never worn anything like this before," Byrne said. She described the dress, the first one she tried on, as "cool and effortless … I like the back with the bustle, and I thought the gown would look good with my haircut" (a blunt bob and bangs). Completing Byrne's look: Chanel jewels and Jimmy Choo platform sandals. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Adm. Gen. Shabazz Aladeen – er, Sacha Baron Cohen. Ever the prankster, Cohen, capitalizing on a last-minute pardon from the Academy, walked the red carpet as his latest cinematic alter ego, The Dictator. In full, gaudy militaria, Cohen deadpanned to E! "I'm wearing John Galliano, but the socks are from Kmart. As Saddam Hussein once said to me, socks are socks. Don't waste money." In a moment that will no doubt go down in Oscar red-carpet infamy, Cohen upended his most noteworthy accessory, a gold urn of Kim Jong Il's "ashes" (really, pancake mix), on Ryan Seacrest. Intoned Cohen: "If somebody asks you what you are wearing, you will say Kim Jong Il." Said a stunned Seacrest: "Part of me thought he would be up to something." Chimed in his co-host Kelly Osbourne: "I think maybe you have your swan dress moment of the night right now." JOE KLAMAR AFP/Getty Images

Sandra Bullock went with her gut when it came to her gold-embroidered, black-and-white silk crepe Marchesa gown with a cowl back. "Usually, you find one and then you make your way through others and you usually come back to your original choice," she told ABC. "And that's what happened." In her hand: a chocolate crocodile clutch from the label. Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY

Glenn Close, a best actress nominee for Albert Nobbs, and Melissa McCarthy, a supporting actress nominee for Bridesmaids, greeted each other on the red carpet as they arrived at the 84th annual Academy Awards at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Robert Hanashiro, USA Today

Presenters Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez shared a bottle of water and adjusted their second-skin dresses before taking the stage. Their onstage act was a hit, at least according to Sandra Bullock. "That was genius!" Bullock yelled out loudly backstage, reacting to their decision to turn their backsides to the crowd as the camera panned back to them. "That's what makes the Academy Awards great!" Robert Hanashiro, USA Today

The guy's got class. After winning his best supporting actor Oscar for Beginners, Christopher Plummer was on a mission: he wanted to thank the rest of the cast that he left out of his speech. He immediately waked to the thank-you cam and finished what he had to say. "I left out my last sentence" he said of his emotional speech, thanking the rest of the cast, including Goran Visnjic and a dog called Cosmo. "I'm just sorry I didn't mention it," he added. Robert Hanashiro USAT

Christian Bale waited in the wings to present the supporting actress Oscar. Bale won the supporting actor award last year for The Fighter and thus has the honor of presenting this year's trophy. Robert Hanashiro USAT

A view from the wings: Supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer gave a tearful and beautiful speech, exclaiming "Thank you again for putting me with the hottest guy in the room. Thank you, world!" Robert Hanashiro USAT

Mother hen Sandra Bullock gave the visibly emotional Octavia Spencer a big hug as soon as she walked offstage. Robert Hanashiro USAT

Presenter Chris Rock blew the lid off the best gig in Hollywood: voicing animated films. "It's the easiest job in the world," he told the audience. Robert Deutsch USAT

Nat Faxon, left, and Alexander Payne celebrate their adapted screenplay Oscar win (for The Descendants) backstage. Not pictured is the third member of the writing team, Jim Rash. Robert Hanashiro USAT

Bridesmaids stars Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne revived their incredibly popular Awards Show Drinking Game (which they originally featured at the Golden Globes) before presenting the Oscar for best short subject documentary. The only rule? Drink whenever anyone says "Scorsese." Robert Deutsch USAT

Michel Hazanavicius addressed the "thank-you cam" backstage. Hazanavicius won the directing Oscar for The Artist, which also took home top honors of the night: Best Picture. Robert Hanashiro USAT

A cym-bolic moment at the Oscars, as Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis present the award for best original song while decked out in white ensembles and playing cymbals. Earlier in the day, Galifianakis was asked about his Oscar pick. "I would say the New York Giants. This is the Super Bowl, right?" he said with a laugh before walking solo into the green room to prepare for his presentation. Robert Deutsch USAT

Natalie Portman, who won best actress in 2011 for Black Swan, presented the best actor Oscar to The Artist's Jean Dujardin. Robert Deutsch USAT

Jean Dujardin only spoke two words onscreen in The Artist, but it was enough to win best actor. "I love your country!" he proclaimed after his win. "If George Valentin could speak, he would say, 'Go, Victor Julian!' (name-dropping a legendary showbiz animal handler). This is extraordinary! Thank you!" Robert Hanashiro USAT

The Iron Lady's Meryl Streep ended her 30-year Oscar drought, winning the best actress trophy for the first time since 1982's Sophie's Choice. "When I heard my name, I could hear half of America going, 'Oh, no! Not again! Her!' But whatever!" She made sure to thank her longtime makeup artist, Mark Coulier (also an Oscar winner that night), because "I'm never going to be up here again!" Robert Hanashiro USAT